Container-agitator

ABSTRACT

Container-agitator for transporting and mixing concrete slurry, consisting of a semicylindrical tank with horizontal axis. It has facilities for placing it on the chassis-cab of a truck as a standard container and for resting on the ground, and mechanisms for its loading on the truck or releasing on the ground, as well as for mixing the concrete contained therein. The legs on which it rests on the ground, allow the raising and releasing of the container from the truck, can be elongated and fixed at different heights and retracted for transportation, being driven by internal hydraulic means. The mixing of the slurry is provided by a rotatable shaft connected along the tank axis, having radial arms and shoes. For driving all mechanisms an internal combustion engine supplies the necessary power.

ilnited States Patent [191 ,lacopini et al. 1

[ CONTAINER-AGITATOR [76] Inventors: Giuseppe Jacopini; Albino Bonelli;

Roberto Tonini, all of Braccagni, Italy 58035 22 Filed: Apr. 20, 1972 21 Appl.No.:246,'447

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 4, 1971 Italy 25447/71 Aug. 31, 1971 Italy 28059/71 [52] US. Cl 259/161, 254/45, 254/86 H, 259/159 A, 280/1505 [51] Int. Cl B286 5/14, B608 9/12 [58] Field of Search 259/153, 159 A,160, 161' [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,050,159 8/1962 Paulus et al. 259/159 A X 2,956,699 10/1960 Payne 280/1505 X 2,985,482 5/1961 Lion 280/l50.5 X 3,476,275 11/1969 Cowlishaw et al..... 254/45 X 3,567,271 3/1971 Gostomski 280/475 X 2,908,472 10/1959 McDonald 280/1505 UX 2,251,839 8/1941 Dondlinger 254/45 3,131,913 5/1964 Swarthout 259/161' FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 786,084 11/1957 Great Britain 259/159 A [111 3,792,838 *[4 1 Feb. 19,1974

Primary ExaminerPeter Feldman Assistant ExaminerAlan I. Cantor Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Dr. G. Modiano; Dr. Albert .losif [57] ABSTRACT Container-agitator for transporting and mixing concrete slurry, consisting of a semicylindrical tank with horizontal axis. It has facilities for placing it on the chassis-cab of a truck as a standard container and for resting on the ground, and mechanisms for its loading on the truck or releasing on the ground, as well as for mixing the concrete contained therein.

The legs on which it rests on the ground, allow the raising and releasing of the container from the truck, can be elongated and fixed at different heights and retracted for transportation, being driven by internal hydraulic means.

The mixing of the slurry is provided by a rotatable shaft connected along the tank axis, having radial arms and shoes.

For driving all mechanisms an internal combustion engine supplies the necessary power.

5 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB I 91'374 SHEET 3 OF 6 Wmt PATENTEB FEB 9 I974 SHEET 5 OF 6 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a container-agitator for transporting concrete slurry and the like by lorry or truck.

At present concrete and like materials are transported from concrete mixing plants to building sites, constituting the points of utilisation of these materials, by so-called lorry mixers, i.e., means of transport essen tially consisting of a lorry to the flour of which a concrete mixer is rigidly fixed.

A technical problem exists relative to the transport and distribution of concrete by said lorry mixers, essen tially consisting of the number of means necessary for its transport, the distinctly inferior characteristics which concrete agitated in a concrete mixer presents in comparison with other agitators (for example in comparison with the container mixer described in Italian Pat. No. 834,994 in the name of the present applicant), and the considerable down times, as yet not overcome, which have a decidedly negative influence on cost prices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As a definite solution to the technical problem heretofore outlined, the applicant has provided a containeragitator for transporting concrete and the like by lorry, comprising mixing, charging and discharging means for said material driven by respective motor means, and conformed in the form of standard container removably attachable to the supporting structure of a lorry.

Advantageously said container-agitator is provided underneath with blocks adapted to engage with corresponding locking means of the type used for containers, fixed to the supporting structure of the lorry.

By this solution it is possible to leave the containeragitator on the floor of the building site and set it at a suitable discharge height to easily feed any pumping tank, crane bucket, dumper or other like device. It is evident that in this case fixed container-agitators on the building site can be eliminated, because the containeragitator attached to a lorry according to the present invention, in-addition to serving for transportation can also be used as a storage silo on the building site. When the container-agitator has been unloaded, the lorry, re-

duced to its chassis-cab, can-return and load a further container-agitator full of concrete or like materials at the concrete mixing plant. In this respect it is important to note that charging the container at the concrete mixing plant does not result in loss of time as at present, because, according to the invention, the containeragitators may be filled one after the other without awaiting the arrival of their means of transport.

The enormous saving in means which can be ob tained by adopting the idea ofthe present invention as heretofore described is evident. A single chassis-cab, suitably arranged, can operate within the concrete mixing plant for filling the container-agitators, whereas other chassis-cabs, also suitably equipped, can shuttle between the concrete mixing plant and utilisation points for the material (concrete and the like), so completely eliminating waiting times. It is evident that a single suitably equipped chassis-cab used as means of transport can serve for transporting two or three container-agitators, so reducing to a minimum the use of means of transport and drivers, so multiplying the quantity of material transported and consequently reducing its price.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be hereinafter described in greater detail by reference to two preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the container-agitator according to the invention, illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view with its parts separated of a first embodiment of a lorry with a containeragitator for transporting concrete and like materials according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 to 4 are constructional details of the container-agitator of FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a lateral view of a second embodiment of a lorry equipped for transporting container-agitators according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a lateral view of the lorry of the previous figure carrying a container-agitator according to the invention; I

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the lorry shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic illustration of the operations involved in locating a container-agitator of the aforementioned second embodiment on the ground;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are lateral and front views respectively of a container-agitator of the type shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 resting on the ground;

FIG..1l is a partially sectional view from above of a modification of the container-agitator mounted on a lorry; and

FIG. 12 is a back view of the container-agitator shown in FIG. 11, represented with one leg withdrawn and one in the rest position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 relative to a first embodiment, the invention involves the use f a lorry indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, for exampleof the type comprising a simple flat floor chassis 2.

A container-agitator 3 conformed substantially as a container, for transporting, distributing and mixing concrete, is positioned and locked in a removable manner on said flat floor by known means (not shown). This container-agitator advantageously has the same essential structural and functional characteristics as the container-agitator described in the Italian Pat. No. 834,994. The use of a similar container-agitator is advantageous in comparison with the usual concrete mixers used for transporting concrete because these latter do no more than overturn one portion of concrete on to another so as to obtain a slurry, and do not provide uniform agitation for the mass which always risks the formation of dangerous segregations.

Essentially said container-agitator comprises a cylindrical elongated tank along whose axis is connected a rotatableshaft provided with resiliently flexible arms having inclined shoes at their ends. These arms provided with shoes are mounted tangentially to the inside of the tank and are ableto totally agitate the mass of concrete, giving it also a slight forward movement towards the discharge mouth because of the slight inclination of said shoes.

The container-agitator 3 is supported by a pair of uprights 4 and 5 of box-like structure, of which at least the front upright 4 advantageously constitutes a water reservoir. The inside of the container is traversed longitugeared drive unit 911, comprising for example an electric motor or an internal combustion engine. The discharge mouth of said tank is provided with a sliding gate which slides in guides provided with ball-bearings and is operated by a hydraulic piston 11. The tank is protected upwardly by a cover 12 and in said cover there are slots of preferably round or oval shape 13 which allow the material to be loaded and the inside of said tank to be inspected and cleaned. These apertures are protected by mobile lids 14 which slide in guides with ball-bearings and are moved by a hydraulic piston 15. At the front of the container-agitator where the aforementioned geared drive unit is housed, there is a panel with remote controls 16 for starting the motor, and for operating the hydraulic pistons which in their turn operate the sliding gate at the discharge mouth and the protection lids for the apertures 13 in the cover 12, together with possible controls relative to the clutch, accelerator, valve lifter and water pump for washing the tank.

In a modification, said container-agitator 3 may be attached to the floor of the lorry and this floor may be of the tipping type.

- Alternatively according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said container-agitator may be attached to the floor of the lorry by way of a body shown diagrammatically with the reference numeral 17, provided with logs 18 for its resting on the ground. This body is advantageously of the type normally used for transporting containers and is in its turn attached to the lorry or lorry floor by known means which will not be descrived.

In a second preferred embodiment of the invention, the container-agitator is provided with autonomous means for its direct resting on the ground and simultaneous raising and releasing from the lorry.

More precisely, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 10, a lorry of the simple chassis-cab type is provided for transportation (FIG. 5).

On the chassis 21 are fixed the locking members 22 (four in number) of the twist type commonly used for transporting containers.

The container-agitator 23 according to the invention is correspondingly provided beneath with four angle blocks 24 also of thetype commonly used for transporting containers. 1

The container-agitator 23 is again substantially in the form of a containerand the measurements used in fixing the locking members 22 and angle blocks 24 are those used throughout the world, referred for example to group lD containers.

The container-agitator 23 again consists of a semicylindrical elongated tank 25 along the axis of which is arranged a rotatable shaft 26 provided with arms 27 with inclined shoes 28 at their ends.

These latter are mounted tangentially to the inside surface of the tank and are able to totally agitate the mass of material contained, giving it also a slight forward movement towards the discharge mouth because of their slight inclination.

The container-agitator 23 is supported by two strong lateral supporting hollow rings 29 and 30 (provided beneath with the angle blocks 24), of which the forward one 29 also serves as a tank for the oil used'in the hydraulic means which will be described hereinafter. In the middle there is a third hollow supporting ring 31 used as a water tank and having a capacity of about 500-600 litres. v

The drive means comprise an internal combustion engine 32 which drives two hydraulic pumps 33 operating a hydraulic reduction unit 34. This latter rotates the shaft 26 provided with the arms 27.

By means of a suitable device the speed of rotation of said shaft 26 may be adjusted by the operator and may vary for example from a minimum of l to a maximum of 35 r.p.m.

Between the supporting rings 29, 30, 31 are supporting boxes 35 (two on each side) rotable about vertical pivots 35a (FIG. 7) and containing retractable legs 36.

More precisely each of said legs comprises a double telescopic withdrawal piston 36 from a respective cylinder 37 contained in the corresponding box 35 (FIG. 9).

At the end of each leg 36 there is a plate 38 for resting on the ground. The cylinders 37 are fed by the pumps 33.

The boxes 35 are opened and closed by further hydraulic cylinders 39 (FIG. 7).

Three wheels are provided for moving the containeragitator on the building site.

More precisely two wheels 40 are provided at the back and a guide wheel 41' at the front.

All three wheels 40 and 41 can be retracted so as to lie under the body of the container when not in use and to lie downwards when being moved on the ground (FIG. 8). The wheels are retracted byrespective hydrodynamic cylinders.

The various controlsmay be imparted by pushbuttons or the like disposed on a control panel 42 which may be lowered for practical purposes (FIGS. 9 and 10). I

The container-agitator 23 is also provided upwardly with a cover 43 in which are formed three apertures: two lateral apertures 44 and an upper central aperture 45. The lateral apertures 44 are disposed for inspecting and washing the container and the central aperture 45 is for charging material. These apertures are protected by a cover 46 slidable in suitable guides, which may be locked by a padlock or the like.

The container-agitator 23 is further provided with a pump for water, the flow of which is divided into two parts, the first part going directly to the wash pipe and the second part being connected to an internal system which is used for adding water to the agitator tank 25.

This internal circuit comprises a flow meter for controlling exactly the quantity of water added to the mixed material.

The outlet mouth of the container-agitator 23 is normally closed by a sliding gate 47 raised by a hydraulic cylinder 48 and situated above a positionable channel 49 (FIG. 5).

The second embodiment of the container-agitator as heretofore described operates and is used asfollows.

When the lorry arrives at its place of discharge, the operator releases the locking members 22 by turning the relative levers 22a, then by pushing the pushbutton on the panel 42 puts into operation the entire hydraulic apparatus which raises the container-agitator 23 from the chassis 21. By means of appropriate solenoid valves and suitable automatic devices, the hydraulic cylinders 39 are put into operation and open the boxes 35 through 90, after which the hydraulic cylinders 37 come into operation and extend the legs 36 downwards.

When these touch the ground the container-agitator 23 is raised from the floor of the chassis 21, so liberating this latter and allowing the lorry to move, which may hence depart on a new journey (the legs 36 are moved with the boxes 35 beyond the overall width of the lorry).

The maximum height to which the discharge mouth can reach from ground level is about 1.80 metres.

The upward movement of the container-agitator may evidently be stopped at different heights according to the working requirements.

When the container-agitator is to be reloaded on to the lorry the operator responsible presses a descent pushbutton on the panel 42 after the drive has aligned the lorry in the correct position.

The centering operation may be aided by wedges (not shown) which enable the heads of the locking members 22 to slide into the seats in the angle blocks '24. At this point it remains only to rotate the heads of the locking members 22 by the appropriate levers 22a, in order to lock the container-agitator securely on to the chassis 21.

Whereas the container-agitator is lowered on to the chassis 21 by gravity descent, the legs 36 re-enter the cylinders 37 by operating other hydraulic cylinders (not shown) which by means of a steel cable running in appropriate pulleys cause the legs 36 to re-enter their housings. The boxes 35 are then closed by rotating them as shown by the arrows in FIG. 7.

Automatic safety devices are provided which prevent the legs 36 from descending until the boxes 35 are completely open. Inversely, these devices prevent closure of said boxes if the legs 36 have not completely reentered.

Safety valves are provided for locking the containeragitator at its set height in case of breakage or fault in the hydraulic system.

The hydraulic circuit is arranged in such a manner that variations in the lengths of the legs 36 take place in a uniform manner so as to give regular upward movement of the container-agitator, even on sloping grounds. Y

The container-agitator is also provided with suitable controls for inclining it in the direction of its back discharge zone, to help the material contained in it to run out and to aid washing operations.

After the container-agitator 23 has been deposited on the ground, it may be lowered and the wheels 40 and 41 turned downwards to that the position shown to the right in FIG. 8 is attained, in which it is possible to move it on the ground.

After unloading, the lorry is able to pick up a further container-agitator 23 at the production plant in which the material is loaded and mixed. The same lorry is thus able to continually shuttle between the production plant and distribution points, having to wait only for brief periods because of the high speed with which the container-agitators are loaded and unloaded, they being raised and lowered by their own means.

After having deposited its container-agitator, the lorry may also be employed for other uses by mounting a body or floor provided with angle blocks of the container type instead of the container-agitator.

In a modification of the second embodiment heretofore described, the retractable legs are connected to structures which move toand from in the transverse direction instead of rotating as the described boxes.

More precisely, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, four retractable legs 55 (of the telescopic elongation type) are provided for resting the container-agitator on the ground, supported by frames 56 which move horizontally in the lateral direction in corresponding guides provided below the tank 25.

Each of said legs comprises a piston 58 and a cylinder 59 supported by the corresponding frame 56 and fed with fluid under pressure from the pumps 33.

Each leg 55 comprises a plate 60 for its support on the ground. Said legs 55, in addition to being slidingly connected to the container according to the invention by way of the frames 56 and respective guides, is in sliding engagement with guide and support means 55a in counter-guides formed in the structure of the container. At said guides 55a-a cylinder-piston unit 61 with horizontal axis is provided, its mobile member (in the case shown the piston 61a) being connected to the corresponding leg 55. These cylinder-piston units are also fed with fluid under pressure from the pump 33.

For moving the container-agitator on the building site, three retractable lower wheels are provided, as previously described.

For depositing the container-agitator on the ground, the legs 55 are extended by feeding compressed fluid to the cylinder-piston units, 61, 61a, which thrust the frames 56 supporting the cylinders 59 laterally outwards. The legs 55 are thus brought into a position outside the profile of the lorry.

The cylinders 59 are then pressurised and cause the pistons 58 to descend.

When the plates 60 touch the ground as the action of the pistons 58 continues, the whole of the containeragitator, which was previously freed from its engagement by means of the blocks 22 and counter-blocks 24 with the lorry 4, is raised so that the lorry can leave it behind on the ground.

By proceeding in a reverse manner as that heretofore described, the container-agitator is loaded on to the lorry. Advantageously, at each leg 55 the structure of the container defines a cavity adapted to receive said leg 55 in such a manner that it does not project from the profile of the container during the lorrys journey..

It can be seen that the container-agitator according to the invention is most advantageous and of very rational use, making it possible to considerably reduce down times, a particularly important fact considering that only a short time should pass between the moment of production of the concrete and the moment of its use (in practice not more than one or two hours on average should pass).

It has been found in practise that the containeragitator according to the invention gives a saving in the price of prepared concrete of at least 25 percent in comparison with traditional systems. The invention so conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications all of which fall within the scope of the inventive idea.

Thus for example the retractable legs may be connected in an inclined manner so that they open out downwards across the width of the lorry, so eliminating the doors 35 or sliding members 56.

We claim: 7

1. A'container-agitator for transporting concrete and the like by truck, comprising in combination mixing,

charging and discharging means for said material driven by respective motor means, and conformed in the form of a container removably connected to the supporting structure of a truck by way of a body of the type commonly used for transporting containers and including wedges adapted to aid sliding for centering said container relative to said body.

2. A container-agitatoraccording to claim 1, further comprising pressure fluid operated retractable legs connected to the sides of said container-agitator for its direct support on the ground and its simultaneous raisin g and release from the truck, said container including a back discharge zone and tilting means to lower the back discharge zone, for facilitating the running of the material and aiding wash operations, said legs being of telescoping type and further comprising control means for controlling the elongation of the legs for adjustment to any kind of ground.

3. A container-agitator according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises a roof having loading and inspection apertures and including a sluice gate slidably mounted on said' roof over said apertures, said gate having fixing means attached'thereto.

4. A container-agitator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an internal system for introducing water into the container and having means for controlling its quantity.

5. A container-agitator according to claim 1, wherein the supporting structure of the truck comprises a tipping type floor on which the container is removably connected. 

1. A container-agitator for transporting concrete and the like by truck, comprising in combination mixing, charging and discharging means for said material driven by respective motor means, and conformed in the form of a container removably connected to the supporting structure of a truck by way of a body of the type commonly used for transporting containers and including wedges adapted to aid sliding for centering said container relative to said body.
 2. A container-agitator according to claim 1, further comprising pressure fluid operated retractable legs connected to the sides of said container-agitator for its direct support on the ground and its simultaneous raising and release from the truck, said container including a back discharge zone and tilting means to lower the back discharge zone, for facilitating the running of the material and aiding wash operations, said legs being of telescoping type and further comprising control means for controlling the elongation of the legs for adjustment to any kind of ground.
 3. A container-agitator according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises a roof having loading and inspection apertures and including a sluice gate slidably mounted on said roof over said apertures, said gate having fixing means attached thereto.
 4. A container-agitator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an internal system for introducing water into the container and having means for controlling its quantity.
 5. A container-agitator according to claim 1, wherein the supporting structure of the truck comprises a tipping type floor on which the container is removably connected. 